Hong Kong to deploy Ultra HD TV platform

AsiaSat will initially use a C-band transponder on AsiaSat 4 at 122° East for the 4K service. It will be based on DVB-S2 and HEVC standards and will deliver between two and five full-time UHD channels.

The UHD broadcasts will be free-to-air and available for reception by terrestrial television networks and home viewers across Asia who have the appropriate decoders and C-band antennas.

“UHD is gaining momentum in Asia with UHD TV sets readily available and affordable. However, there is still a lack of UHD content and consumer receivers in Asia. AsiaSat is proud to play a key role in UHD content delivery in Asia with the launch of this new UHD broadcast platform. We are committed to working closely with content and technology partners to make the delivery economics work for UHD broadcasting in this part of the world,” said William Wade, president and chief executive officer, AsiaSat.

“The adoption of UHD will continue to be driven by consumers’ increasing demand for improved picture quality for sports and movies. Upcoming major sporting events such as the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup are expected to be key drivers for the adoption of UHD. We look forward to supporting the UHD transmissions of these events on AsiaSat 4 and our future AsiaSat 9 satellite that is designed to meet the higher throughput requirements of UHD broadcasting.”